De Anza College



Sample Candidate Statements from Previous Years“We don’t want activity without achievement…”~John WoodenBoth basketball fans and non-fans alike might appreciate these words of legendary UCLA coach John Wooden. How often have you sat in a meeting theorizing about issues but feeling as if only a small part of the larger plan actually comes to fruition? We don’t want activity without achievement. We could do more.Throughout my tenure here at De Anza College, I have witnessed so many people committed to improving conditions both for students and for faculty. While we often reach our goals, I also feel that we could go further in achieving success. For example, since we began talks about improving student equity and since we formed the Educational Master Plan outlining this objective, the overall success rate for all students has increased, a commendable achievement. However, the gap of more than 5% between the highest and the lowest performing ethnic groups still remains. We could do more.I am not satisfied with just a majority of our students achieving success. I am not satisfied with faculty and classified employees finding career life here at De Anza merely sufficient. Our college has the potential to be an even more vibrant, innovative, and exciting place for scholarship and teaching. We could do more. My involvement with various committees shows my dedication to fulfilling the needs of all students and faculty through maintaining a program mix and improving conditions for faculty and staff: I have taken an active role in the Academic Senate for three years, participated on both the Workforce and the Instructional Planning and Budget Teams, served on one of this year’s Accreditation teams, sat on the Professional Relations Committee, co-chaired the Asian Pacific American Staff Association, undertaken the position of Honors Coordinator, participated in College Council Meetings, been involved with hiring and tenure committees, and most recently joined the Presidential Task Force for increasing Civic Engagement. Still, I could do more.Yes, we need to theorize about issues in order to understand them more effectively. However, let’s have not only activity but achievement. Let’s get things done.Candidate Statement for the Office of Academic Senate PresidentLast year, I began my candidate statement with some wise words from basketball coach John Wooden: “We don’t want activity without achievement.” After a year of serving as the Academic Senate President, I see the truth in Henry David Thoreau’s words as well: "Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it." With such a busy year, I certainly can vouch for the Academic Senate’s success in making improvements in the classroom, in shared governance, and on campus as a whole.In response to the need for more campus dialogue, the Academic Senate co-sponsored a first annual teaching and learning conference for faculty and by faculty with over 75 attendees and participants. In response to concerns about shared governance, the Senate Executive Committee held a joint retreat with Senior Staff to discuss the governance structure and process with quarterly joint meetings planned for upcoming quarters. In response to the desire to recognize the efforts and talents of our faculty, the Academic Senate held a faculty reception to honor our newly tenured candidates. Not only has the Academic Senate responded to the needs of our faculty, larger campus, and community, but we have pressed forward on a variety of issues such as student equity (having substantive discussions during Executive Committee meetings), environmental sustainability (forming a subcommittee which has begun to implement actionable items), and increasing resources to faculty (including part-time office space and technological needs). So much has been accomplished; so much has begun. And yet so much is not yet complete, and so much is yet to be done. I feel my role as a leader is not yet finished. Indeed, there has been much activity with much achievement. I hope to see all of this activity find achievement. I am so excited about what De Anza’s future holds, and I hope you are as well. I ask you to vote for me as Academic Senate President for another term so that we, as an Academic Senate, can see the implementation and solidifying of many of these initiatives. Thank you for your support.Candidate Statement for the Office of Academic Senate President - I became involved with the Academic Senate in 2002 as a Language Arts senator. Since then our college has seen a new college president, a new chancellor, four new vice chancellors, a new vice president of finance and college services, a new marketing director, a couple of interim vice presidents of instruction, several new deans, over 100 new tenure-track faculty, and many valuable new classified professional staff. To say that De Anza is in a state of flux is an understatement. My experience as the Academic Senate President over the past two years has helped prepare me to serve the college during this crucial time of change and transformation.The Academic Senate has begun many initiatives over the past two years. This year, we held our second annual Teaching and Learning Conference, with over 130 attendees and with an added Student Services component. We also enjoyed our second annual Tenure Celebration, a time for faculty to recognize fellow faculty members. We have increased the faculty voice and number of faculty involved in the shared governance process; furthermore, we continue to dialogue with administration through joint quarterly meetings with the Senate Executive Committee and senior administrators. Thanks to the leadership of some of our long-standing part-time faculty, the Senate has secured permanent part-time faculty office space. Further evidence of the Senate’s commitment to increasing communication and resources for part-time faculty is seen in our addition of another At-Large Part-Time Faculty Senate Representative. Also, during my tenure as president, we began paying these representatives a stipend in recognition of their service. Always central to our concerns is student success, which has prompted our reinstating of Instructional Testing services as well as discussions with the bookstore of possibilities for alternative textbooks.As De Anza moves forward this upcoming academic year, we will have several important initiatives and decisions before us. The Academic Senate has been integral in the Strategic Planning process, and the Senate’s specific commitment is to increase faculty advising particularly in the area of discipline-specific career and major choices. I believe that continuity is critical in order to see these initiatives fully realized, and I hope that you will vote for me as your Academic Senate President for 2007-2008. Thank you for your support. ................
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